8 / 24
6
What Does My Pap Test Result Mean?
Your Pap test will come back as “normal,” “unclear,” or “abnormal.”
Normal
A normal (or “negative”) result means that no cell changes were found
on your cervix. This is good news. But you still need to get Pap tests in
the future. New cell changes can still form on your cervix.
Unclear
It is common for test results to come back unclear. Your doctor may
use other words to describe this result, like
equivocal, inconclusive,
or
ASC-US
. These all mean the same thing—that your cervical cells
look like they could be abnormal. It is not clear if it’s related to HPV.
It could be related to life changes like pregnancy, menopause, or an
infection. The HPV test can help find out if your cell changes are
related to HPV.
Abnormal
An
abnormal
result means that cell changes were found on your
cervix. This usually does not mean that you have cervical cancer.
Abnormal changes on your cervix are likely caused by HPV. The
changes may be minor (low-grade) or serious (high-grade). Most of
the time, minor changes go back to normal on their own. But more
serious changes can turn into cancer if they are not removed. The
more serious changes are often called “
precancer
” because they are
not yet cancer, but they can turn into cancer over time.
In rare cases, an abnormal Pap test can show that you may have cancer.
You will need other tests to be sure. The earlier you find cervical
cancer, the easier it is to treat.